Liquid dispenser



Sept. 15, 1931.

w. H HAST LIQUID "DISPENSER Filed Oct. 15, 19:50

Patented Sept. 15, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

' WILLIAM H. EAST, OF MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA, ASSIGNOR- TO HAYDEN EIILLER COMPANY, OF MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA, A CORPORATION OF MINNESOTA LIQUID msrnnsna Application filed October 15, 1930. Serial No. 488,896.

My invention provides a simple,convenient and sanitary device for dispensing of liquids, the term liquids being used in a liberal sense to include semi-liquids and all materials that will flow under pressure. The device has been especially designed for use as a table article for the dispensing of condiments such as mustard, salad dressing, catsup and the like. Mustard, for example, is usually served in restaurants, even in homes, inopen jars into which knives, forks and spoons are-inserted to remove the contents and in which jars the mustard or the like gets hard, unsanitary and loses its flavor,

' with the result that large amounts thereof are necessarily thrown away and wasted. Also the open jars expose the contents to flies and generally to unsanitary conditions. T he statements made inrespect to mustard apply with more or less force with the serving of Various other condiments and the like.

My invention provides a normally closed jar from which the desired amount of the contents can be ejected simply by pressing on a thumb or finger-piece and in which the contents of the jar is always kept closed from the atmosphere and in perfectly sanitary condition, and being substantially airtight, will prevent drying up or evaporation of the contents of the jar. Aside from the sanitary and other conditions above noted. a desired amount of the contents of the can always be ejected just at the time desired and without waste.

In the accompanying drawings, which illustrate a jar especially designed for-containing mustard, catsup or the like, like characters indicate like parts throughout the several Views.

Referring to the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a vertical section taken axially through the complete device on the line 11 of F ig; 2, some parts being shown in full;

Fig. 2 is a horizontal section taken on the line 22 of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary view in front elevation showing the principal parts of the mechanism for progressively ejecting the material from the jar.

The jar 4 may be made of any suitable material but as illustrated and preferably,

it will be made of porcelain and it will have a cylindrical interior 5. At the front side of the a discharge conduit 6 extends from the extreme bottom of the jar up through the front wall thereof and then opens out through a thickened portion 7 ofthe jar. At its upperend, the neck of the jar is externally threaded at 8 for threaded engagement with a metallic cap 9 that extends materially above the top of the and at its back is formed with a handle'lO. A guide sleeve 11 is rigidly connected to and depends from the top of the cap in axial alignment with the axis of the cylindrical interior 5 of the jar. In this guide sleeve 11 is mounted a rack toothed stem 12 which, as shown, is preferably cylindrical and is formed with rack teeth that run completely around the same. A piston head 13 is secured to the lower end of the stem 12. This piston head 13 may be made of any suitable material but preferably and as shown is of porcelain andis secured to the lower end of the stem 12 by being cast- 'or formed around an expanded lower end l l of said stem. The piston head 13 quite loosely fitsthe' cylindrical surface 5. but'is provided with a gasket or packing ring 15 preferably of cork that closely on gages the said cylindrical surface.

A short countersh'aft 16 is ournaled in ears 17 formed on the sides of the lower end por-' tion of sleeve 11. A spur pinion 18 secured on shaft .16 meshes withthe annular teeth of 'steniy12Q To one projecting end of shaft 16 a ratchet wheel 19 is secured and on the same end of said shaft is pivotally mounted a small lever 20. A downwardly spring-pressed pawl or ratchet dog 21 is pivoted to lever and the hook-like free end thereof normally engages the teeth of ratchet wheel 19.

Mounted for vertical m vement through the top of the cap 9 and through an interior lug 23 thereof is an actuating plunger 24 nor mally'yieldingly pressed upward by a spring 25. At the lower end of this plunger24 is a diametrical slot through which the free end of the, lever 20 is projected, as best shownin Fig.1. The cap or thumb member 9 is shown as detachably secured t6 the jar by threaded IOU engagement but, of course, it might be detachably secured by any other suitable means. It should, however, be quite firmly attached so that it will not be forced off under the progressive ejecting action hereinafter described. Of course, when the jar is to be filled, the cover, together with the piston and piston-actuating mechanism must be removed. When the cover and piston mechanism are to be applied, the stem 12 must be forced as far as it will go up into the sleeve 11 and this, of course, may be quickly accomplished when the pawl 21 is released from the ratchet wheel 19 by an upward pressure on the lower end of arm 22. As soon as the upward pressure is released on arm 22, dog 21 comes back into engagement with the ratchet wheel 19. When the cover is applied with the piston head 17 inserted into the jar and each time plunger 24 is depressed, the pawl-equipped lever operating on the ratchet wheel will impart a step of downward movement to the piston head 13, thereby ejecting a certain amount of the contents of the jar from the conduit 6. Of course, any amount of liquid or semi-liquid may be ejected from the jar by a repetition of the plunger depressions.

Obviously, under this manner of dispensing the liquid material from the ar, no part of the contents of the jar is exposed to air except the part that is actually ejected. Not only the convenience with the use of this device, but all of the desirable conditions referred to and others are accomplished. N0 smearing by table articles is required, there is no waste of the material, the contents of the jar are kept in natural condition and flavor, and are protected from all unsanitary conditions.

Here it is important to note that this conduit 6, at its upper outer extremity, is at a point above the bottom surface of the piston head 13 which is the altitude of the line of maximum content of the jar, so that normally there will be no flow by gravity out of the jar through the said conduit 6. It should be further noted that the handle 10 is located so closely adjacent the projected end of spring-contracted actuating plunger 24 that the latter may be engaged by the thumb of the hand engaged by said handle and thereby adapting the-device to be manipulated and handled entirely with one hand.

From what has been said, it will be understood that that device, the preferred form of which has been illustrated and described, is capable of various modifications within the spirit of the invention herein disclosed. Also it is obvious that the device may be put to a great'many different uses in the handlingof various different liquid and semi-liquid substances.

What I claim is:

1. A liquid dispensing device comprising a jar having a cylindrical interior and a discharge conduit leading from its lower portion outward and opening at a point high up on said jar, a cap detachably applied to said jar and normally closing same, a sleeve depending axially fromthe top of said cap and having shaft bearings in its lower portion, a piston working in said jar having a rack toothed stem working in the sleeve of said cap, a short shaft journaled in the bearings of said sleeve, a spur pinion and a ratchet pinion secured to said shaft, the former engaging the teeth of said piston stem, a lever pivoted on said shaft, a pawl pivoted to said lever and normally engaging said ratchet wheel, and a spring-retracted plunger working through the top of said cap and connected to and operating said pawl-equipped lever.

2. The structure defined in claim 1 in which said pawl is provided with a depending arm which, when pressed upward releases said pawl and said ratchet wheel.

3. The structure defined in claim 1 in which the teeth on said piston stem run completely around the same, thereby permitting the same to rotate while maintaining a mesh with said pinion.

4. The structure defined in claim 1 in which said cap is provided with a loop-like handle located adjacent the projecting end of said actuating plunger so that the latter may be engaged by the thumb of the hand engaging said handle.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature. 7 WILLIAM H. HAST. 

